PowerPoint Musings 01: Four Problem Areas

Many people need to create PowerPoint slides, not because of choice but because everyone is doing so. So that is the main reason why we end up with:

• Haphazard slides that had to be created to support a deadline.
• Copycat slides that look similar to a million more that looked just the same.
• Heavy slides with so much text that they look more like a disorganized version of a dictionary.
• Uninspiring slides that were created by self-taught, self-declared PowerPoint gurus.

You get the pattern! Yes, these slides are everywhere and end up giving PowerPoint and other slide programs a bad name. And that’s another concept to think about: why blame PowerPoint?

Do you blame the paper or the pen/pencil for the terrible handwriting? Doesn’t PowerPoint and the slide have the same relationship?

Image by Dan Rosandich — From: Using Cartoons in PowerPoint

Now this is not a topic that everyone agrees to. This at best is only an opinion.

The solution to this problem of terrible slides is to overcome these four problem areas:

1. The temptation to add too much text to slides.
2. Creating slides at the last minute.
3. Lack of PowerPoint skills.
4. Not cultivating creativity.

In many ways, these four problem areas are related to each other. Trying to solve just one of these areas may lead you to solve the other three problem areas as well.

We will explore these problem areas in more detail in future (hopefully yes) posts.

Have a terrific day.

Geetesh

Tip: To learn more about PowerPoint and presenting skills, do explore my site, Indezine.com